Traction-wheel.



PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

J. P. MOEWING.

TRAGTION WHEEL.

APPLIUATION FILED MAY 190s.

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110.756,39. 1 PATBNTBD APR.5.1904. J. P. MQBWING.

TRACTION WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8| 1903.

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UN iTnD STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

JAMES PEROIVAL MCEWING, OF DRAYTON, CANADA.

TRACTION-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,395, dated April 5, 1904.

Application filed May 8, 1903. Serial No. 156,269. (No model.)

EWING, a subject of the King of England, re-

siding at Drayton, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in TractionvWheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to traction-wheels; and it has for its object to provide a construction wherein will be included a series of cleats slidably mounted in the felly'of the wheel and having means for projecting them when they are about to engage the ground and for retracting them after they have left the ground.

A further object of the invention is to pro- Vide a construction wherein the amount of projection of the cleats may be adjusted as desired.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description and include the provision of means for holding the cleats yieldably in their projected positions.

In the drawings forming aportion of this speciiication, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure 1 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig.

2, showing a Wheel embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken diametrically of the Wheel. Fig. 3 is an enlarged View of the cleat-projecting cam with the mechanism for adjusting it.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a wheel comprising a felly 10, having the edge flanges 11, to which are connected spokes 12 in pairs, the spokes of each pair being crossed between the felly and the hub 13 and connected to flanges 14 at the ends of the hub.

In the felly 10 at equidistant points are slots 15, in each of which is slidably disposed a cleat 16 in the form of a sheet or blade having attached thereto a cylindrical stem 17. Secured to the spokes at the points of crossing of the latter and at one side of the wheel is an annular flange 18, having perforations 19, through which are slidably engaged the stems 17, and to hold the cleats normally retracted from the outer face of the felly and with their inner ends against the flange 18 helical springs 19 are disposed upon the stems and rest with one end against the ange and the other end against the washer 20, which is held upon the free end of the stem by the pin 2.1. At the sides of the slots 15 are inwardly directed flanges 22, forming guides for the cleats to olirect them through the slots.

As above stated, the helical springs 19' hold the cleats all normally retracted, and when they are projected the springs are placed under tension to again retract the cleats when the latter are released.

To project the cleats successively and subsequently to release them, each of the cleats has a stub-shaft 23, which projects from one edge thereof and on which is mounted a wheel 24, the stub-shaft being a portion of a casting which isjsecured to the cleat and comprises also the stem 17. In the path of movement of the Wheels 24 as the wheel proper rotates upon the axle 25 is a cam 26, which is positioned beneath the aXle so that as each cleat reaches the proper point for its projection its wheel 24 will run onto the cam, and because of the shape of the latter, as illustrated, the cleat will be moved radially of the Wheel and projected through the slot in the felly thereof.

To properly mount the cam 26 to hold the cleats yieldably projected from the felly of the traction-wheel, said cam has the parallel vertical rods 27 attached thereto and which rods stand at opposite sides of the axle 25 and slidably engage the upper and lower laterallyturned ends 28 and 29, respectively, of brackets 31 and 32, which latter are clamped against the vertical side faces of the axle 25 by means of bolts 33 and 34. The rods 27, instead of directly engaging the laterally-turned ends of the brackets, are passed through sleeves 35 and 36 at the lower and upper ends thereof, respectively, the sleeves 35 resting against. the cam and projecting above the portions 29 of the brackets, while the sleeves 36 pass through the portions 28 of the brackets and project both above and below them. Encircling the rods 27 between the sleeves thereon IDO are helical springs 38, which rest with their ends against the upper and lower sleeves, respectively. To hold the upper sleeves 36 against upward movement on the rods 27 and with the springs under tension, a yoke 39 is provided, through which the upper ends of the rods are passed. 'Ihe yoke 39 rests upon the upper ends of the sleeves 36, and nuts 40 are screwed onto the upper ends of the rods and impinge against the yoke, so that when the yoke is moved downwardly or in the direction of the axle 25 the sleeves 36 will be correspondingly moved to place the springs under tension to project the cam radially of the traction-wheel, so that when the guidewheels 24 run onto the ca m the cleats will be projected through the periphery of the traction-wheel to a greater degree.

To shift the yoke 39, a screw-shaft 41 is screwed through the yoke and is rotatably mounted at its lower end in a block 42, which is held between the brackets 31 and 32.. The screw-shaft 41 has a bevel-gear 42 at its upper end, which meshes with the gear 43 upon the shaft 44, so that by rotation of the latter the screw-shaft 41 maybe rotated to correspondingly move the cam radially of the tractionwheel. By reason of the helical springs 38 the cam is held yieldably against upward movement, so that should one of the projected cleats strike upon a rock or other hard surface the cam will move upwardly to permit the cleat to correspondingly move and allow contact of the periphery of the wheel with the hard surface. The traction-wheel is rotated through the medium of the internal gear 44, which is secured to the inner side of the wheel and with which is engaged the driving-pinion 45.

What is claimed is- 1. In a traction wheel, the combination with a wheel having slots in the felly thereon, cleats slidably disposed within the slot and adapted for movement radially of the wheel, means for holding the cleats yieldably reguides upon the axle and rods slidably disposed in the guides, sleeves upon the upper ends of the rods and secured thereto, and lying vwithin the guides, other sleeves slidably disposed upon the lower ends of the rods, and lying within the guides, a cam secured to the sleeves, springs disposed upon the rods and lying between the sleeves to hold the secondnamed sleeves at the lowermost limit of their motion and to hold the cam yieldably in the paths of the guide-wheels, a cross-bar connecting the upper ends of the rods and having a threaded perforation therethrough, a socket between the guides, .a threaded rod swiveled in the socket and lying within the threaded perforation, and means for operating the threaded rod to move the cross-bar and the rods, to vary the tension of the spring.

2. In a traction wheel, the combination with a wheel having slots in the felly thereof, cleats slidably disposed within the slot and adapted for movement radially of the wheel, means for holding the cleats yieldably retracted and guide-wheels upon the cleats, of an axle havinga spindle to receive the wheel,

guides upon the axle, rods slidably disposed in the guides, sleeves upon the upper ends of the rods and secured thereto, and lying within the guides, other sleeves slidably disposed upon the lower ends of the rods, and lying within the guides, a cam secured to the sleeves,

springs disposed upon the rods and lying between the sleeves to hold the second-named sleeves at the lowermost limit of their motion and to hold the cam yieldably in the paths of the guide-wheels and means for varying the tension of the springs.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAS. PERCIVAL MCEWING. Witnesses:

WM. W. WALKER, CHARLIE HILBoRN 

